Your ultimate guide to visiting Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary in Candy Kitchen, New Mexico
After my last post about Pie Town, New Mexico, where it’s all about pies, you’re probably expecting something similar with a town called Candy Kitchen. Surely, it must be all about candy. Well, you’d be wrong. Candy Kitchen, New Mexico is all about wolves, as it’s home to the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary. In August, I splurged for the opportunity to experience a “VIP Behind the Scenes Tour” of Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary. Here’s what I learned.
Table of Contents
A Brief History of Candy Kitchen, New Mexico
How Candy Kitchen Got Its Name
Candy Kitchen is located ~10 miles south of New Mexico State Road 53, which is also known as the “Ancient Way”. The Ancient Way is a reference to the region’s rich Native American History, with ruins and cultural landmarks that date back centuries. While Candy Kitchen might share the neighborhood with the Ramah Navajo Indian Reservation, it’s never been officially part of it. Instead, Candy Kitchen has a distinctive story, separate from the Ramah Navajo’s history.
In the early 20th century, settlers began to arrive in the area. During the Prohibition era (1920 – 1933), a crafty homesteader decided to establish a ranch with the intention of brewing up some moonshine. There was one tiny snag with his plan: sugar. Buying large quantities of sugar was like waving a red flag at the government watchdogs.
To address this sugar obstacle, the homesteader and his wife hatched a clever plan. They started making lots of fudge and selling it as a cover for their moonshine business. Folks would swing by to pick up some sweet treats over the counter and a little moonshine under it. The place quickly earned the nickname “The Candy Kitchen,” and the name stuck like, well, fudge. Candy Kitchen doesn’t have a specific founding date because it was never officially incorporated as a town.
The Transition from “Candy” to Wolves
In 1983, an artist named Jacque Evans stumbled upon the abandoned ranch that was once home to the candy and moonshine business. Jacque thought it would make a cozy place to call home and pursue her art, so she bought it. Jacque was already an accomplished painter by the time she settled in the historic Candy Kitchen Ranch.
Jacque had a deep connection with nature, and she was particularly fond of wolves and wolf-dogs. Her artwork often depicted wolves and Native Americans in dreamlike scenes. In 1990, Jacque’s love for wolves led her to buy a wolfdog pup from a breeder in Gallup. As she mingled with other wolfdog owners, she saw the desperate need for a sanctuary for the many unwanted animals she kept hearing about. So, she began taking in abandoned wolfdogs from the Gallup area. Jacque used proceeds from the sale of her art to cover the cost of caring for her original rescues. A year later, in 1991, Jacque took things one step further by founding “The Candy Kitchen Wolf and Wolf-dog Rescue Ranch”.
In 1992, Jacque met Barbara Berge in Albuquerque, all thanks to a rescued wolfdog that Barbara was taking care of in her home. What started as a chance encounter quickly turned into a shared vision. By the following year (1993), Barbara was on her way to Candy Kitchen to join Jacque in a mission to turn the rescue ranch into a fully operational non-profit wolf sanctuary.
The early years were tough. Jacque and Barbara pooled their meager resources together, living off savings, volunteers, and friends to slowly build the sanctuary. Their full days consisted of caring for abused and abandoned wolves and wolfdogs, fundraising, building enclosures, and educating the public. It wasn’t easy, but it was profoundly rewarding.
Barbara retired in 2003, knowing that the sanctuary was in good hands. By October 2003, “The Candy Kitchen Wolf and Wolf-dog Rescue Ranch” had a makeover and emerged as “Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary”, with Leyton Cougar stepping in as Executive Director.
Sadly, Jacque Evans passed away on June 8, 2009. Barbara Berge described Jacque as having “a huge heart, a great sense of humor, and a fearless way of moving through life. Work of Heart often requires courage, dedication and an optimistic determination to follow your heart path no matter how hard the going. Jacque Evans had all these qualities coupled with a joyous earthiness and love of the natural world.”
That’s a great way to be remembered.
Today’s Candy Kitchen
I was going to use the subheading “Modern Day Candy Kitchen”, but the term “modern” just doesn’t fit. After all, Candy Kitchen is a place where the houses are few and the roads are more dirt than pavement—giving it a real “back to basics” charm.
Today, Candy Kitchen is a mountain community with around 300 residents. There are no restaurants or hotels in Candy Kitchen, but camping is an option. More on that later in this post. I should also point out that phone reception is pretty sketchy in the area. At one point, I had to go “old school” and pull out a map. If that’s not an option for you, then you’ll want to download directions in advance.
Visiting the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary
The main attraction of Candy Kitchen is, of course, the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary. As a registered non-profit organization, Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary has a mission to rescue “displaced, unwanted, and non-releasable captive-bred wolves, wolfdogs, and other wild canid species.” Unlike adoption agencies, the sanctuary provides animals from across the United States with a safe, permanent home. Another important part of the sanctuary’s mission is providing educational programs to inform the general public about wolves, wolfdogs, and other species in its care.
Speaking of animals in their care, Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary is currently home to 70+ animals, primarily consisting of wolves and wolfdogs, but also including a few coyotes, two red foxes, one domestic dog, and a pair of very rare New Guinea singing dogs. I wasn’t familiar with New Guinea singing dogs prior to my visit. New Guinea singing dogs (Canis lupus hallstromi) are native to Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, where they live in thick forests and mountains. The chances of you seeing one in the wild are virtually nil, as there are only a few hundred in existence, mostly in zoos and sanctuaries. As you probably guessed, the New Guinea singing dog gets its name from its voice. But as you probably didn’t guess, New Guinea singing dogs don’t bark. Instead, they yodel. You can search online for a demo of their yodel, but here’s what they look like.
Available Tours at the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary
When you visit the wolf sanctuary, you’ll have several options to choose from. From March 1st – December 31st, you can choose a self-guided tour or guided tour. Either option costs $15 per adult and $10 for children 12 and under. Seniors and military veterans qualify for the $10 rate. There’s no charge for children two years old and under. Guided tours are offered at noon and 3pm Thursday – Sunday. Self-guided tours are available Thursday – Sunday from 11am – 4pm. Here’s a link to learn more about the standard tours that are available. The sanctuary also hosts an annual “Howl-O-Ween” event that features a variety of activities, vendors, keeper chats, and a costume contest.
If you’re looking for a deeper dive into wolf life, Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary offers some intriguing specialty tours as part of its educational efforts. Just remember, you’ll need to book specialty tours at least 48 hours in advance. Options include “Keeper for a Day” and a “VIP Tour”, both available all year. If photography’s your thing, there’s a tour for that too. From March to December, you can join Feeding Tours, Enrichment Tours, or Twilight Tours. Check out the following link if you’d like to learn more about the specialty tours on offer: Specialty tours at Wild Sprit Sanctuary.
I decided to go for the VIP tour, and it was great. This was partly because I was the only one on the VIP tour that day, so I had my own personal tour guide. As an animal nerd, you can imagine that I had more than a few questions for my terrific guide.
It was interesting to learn about the personalities of high content wolves vs. low content wolves and dogs. High content wolves are much more shy and tend to keep their distance from people. It was also interesting to learn about the daily routine to care for 70+ animals at the sanctuary.
Camping at the Wild Spirit Campground
If you’d like to marvel at New Mexico’s stunning, starry night sky while being serenaded by the howls of wolves and wolf-dogs, then you’ll want to consider camping at the sanctuary’s nearby Wild Spirit Campground. Sure, their howling might put a dent in your sleep schedule, but I’m guessing the experience is worth it. I’m planning to give it a shot next year and I’ll update this post with the details.
The no frills Wild Spirit Campground is situated under a canopy of trees. The only amenities provided are one port-a-john and some picnic benches. But I’m guessing you’re not there for the amenities. You’re there for the experience of listening to howling wolves while you gaze at the stars. You can find up-to-date details about cost and other logistics at the following link: Wild Spirit Campground.
As for food, there are no restaurants or shops in Candy Kitchen, so you’ll want to stock up on whatever you need before you arrive. The one exception is that you can purchase hot dogs (RedBeard’s Salty Dogs) at the sanctuary on Saturdays and Sundays from 11am – 4pm during peak season.
Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary Gift Shop
If you’re looking for wolf souvenirs, you’re in luck. Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary has you covered. Here’s a link to the online gift shop to give you an idea of what’s in stock.
How you can support Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary
If you’d like to support the care of wolves and wolfdogs at Wild Spirit, they would certainly appreciate your donation. You can get information about donations and sponsorships at the following link: Donate to Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary.
This is particularly true now, given the news that Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary is interested in purchasing the Indigo Mountain Nature Center (Lake George, Colorado) after the sad news of the recent passing of Indigo Mountain’s Founder and Executive Director, Sue Cranston. Indigo Mountain is home to 25 wolfdog rescues that will need care. Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary is actively fundraising to purchase Indigo Mountain Nature Center and fold it into its organization. You can learn more about the Indigo Mountain campaign at this link.
Status of Wolves in New Mexico
Since we’re on the topic of wolves, I might as well answer the inevitable question, “are there wolves in New Mexico? … aside from the University of New Mexico lobo mascot.” Glad you asked! After all, I recently attended a presentation about wolves in New Mexico through my volunteer work as a Docent at the ABQ BioPark Zoo. Here’s the short version.
As of March 2024, the latest survey found a total of 257 wild Mexican gray wolves across New Mexico and Arizona, with a minimum of 144 wolves residing New Mexico (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service press release). Despite the small numbers, it’s actually good news for wolves (see figure below), as this continues the trend of a slow, but gradual increase in the wolf population across the two states.
Wolves were virtually wiped out from New Mexico in the 1970s. After being listed as endangered in 1976, captive breeding programs were established for the Mexican grey wolf. The first captive Mexican wolves were released into Arizona and New Mexico in 1998 as an experimental population. That’s why the line graph above begins in 1998.
The increase has been slow because of three big reasons: a very small founding population, limited genetic diversity, and navigating conflicts with livestock owners. I’ll start with the livestock predation issue.
Navigating conflicts between wolves and livestock owners
Unfortunately, wolves sometimes prey on livestock, which has caused some ranchers to shoot wolves to protect their livestock. The most common wolf attacks involve sheep, goats, and calves. Adult cattle and horses are much less at risk.
How often do these wolf kills take place? Accurate statistics are a bit fuzzy. In the first 17 years after reintroducing wolves, there was an estimated total of 288 confirmed cattle depredations, which works out to ~17 kills per year. In the first half of 2023, there were 63 confirmed wolf kills in New Mexico. However, there’s some debate about that number. Environmental groups believe that the number was over-reported, and there are accusations that inspectors were “rubber-stamping” livestock deaths as wolf kills. Rather than got caught in the mire of arguing what number is accurate, we can probably all agree that the number of annual wolf kills of livestock in New Mexico today probably falls somewhere between 75 – 150.
To help prevent these conflicts, there are federal and state programs that offer financial compensation to ranchers for livestock losses that are attributed to wolf predation. In addition, there are strategies such as flagging on fences and diversionary food caches that are used in attempt to deter wolves, as well as protocols to relocate problem wolves. When these methods fail, lethal removal of a wolf is considered as a last resort.
Addressing the lack of genetic diversity in wolf populations
Another major challenge that wolves face is a lack of genetic diversity in the wolf population. Low genetic diversity increases the odds that a disease, pathogen, or environmental change can affect many individuals in the population. Greater genetic diversity means that a population of wolves is more likely to include individuals with disease resistance or other characteristics that increase their odds of survival.
Limited genetic diversity can also lead to inbreeding between closely related individuals. This increases the risk of harmful genetic mutations that are expressed in the form of health issues, deformities, reduced fertility, and lower survival rates. As a result, populations with low genetic diversity may experience reduced reproductive rates.
To address these concerns, a great deal of effort goes into introducing genetic diversity into a population. This is typically done through the release of captive-bred adult wolves or fostering captive-bred born pups in wild dens.
The path forward for wolves in New Mexico
As you can see, balancing wolf recovery efforts with the concerns of livestock owners is not easy. There are no easy answers. The future of wolves requires the various stakeholders to continue to work together to find common ground. In other words, the only way forward is to encourage biologists, ranchers, government officials, hunters, and wildlife advocates to continue to work together to identify win-win strategies at the local, state, and national levels.
Conclusion
As we wrap up our exploration of Candy Kitchen, New Mexico, it’s clear that this community offers more than meets the eye. That’s a common theme in all the small towns I’ve visited in New Mexico. But one thing that’s particularly unique about Candy Kitchen is the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary and the people who have dedicated their life to the care and conservation of wolves. It’s well worth a visit, particularly for animal lovers.
Thought for the Week
For this week’s thought for the week, I obviously looked for something with a wolf theme. In my research, I came across a wolf-related quote from American comedian George Carlin (1937 – 2008), which caught me by surprise. I saw George Carlin in concert a long, long time ago (it must have been in the 1980s) with my parents and brother. I don’t remember many details about the show, but I do remember laughing a lot. I also remember that his commentary was easy to understand, unlike this week’s thought for the week. So, here’s something to ponder from George Carlin.
“There are nights when the wolves are silent and only the moon howls.”
― George Carlin
Thanks for reading, and happy travels!
Mark (New Mexico Travel Guy)
Mark Aspelin, The New Mexico Travel Guy (www.newmexicotravelguy.com), is a travel writer and author of two books who has enjoyed a wide variety of adventures in his travels to over 100 countries and all 50 U.S. States. His current project involves visiting EVERY town in his home state of New Mexico (there’s over 500 towns) and writing a story about each one. When not traveling, Mark lives as a recluse in the mountains outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico.
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